ATARSAdvanced
Tactical Air Reconnaissance System

The Advanced
Tactical Air Reconnaissance System [ATARS] is intended to provide real-,
near-real-time, manned penetrating tactical reconnaissance aboard
Hornets for sea or expeditionary land-based operations. The
reconnaissance system is a self-contained sensor suite that, when
upgraded will be capable of gathering both wide-area coverage and
point-target reconnaissance imagery during all-weather
conditions. A data link would allow aircrew to
transmit imagery to a ground-based image processing station while
returning to home base,